Posting days: Sunday and Wednesday and, sometimes, maybe, extra ‘news flashes’!

Wednesday July 27th 2016

Polymath reads my post about May’s visit and complains about my attitude.

“Poor Isis”, she opines, “cowering at the bottom of the stairs. It’s her house. You should have backed her up, not let May be the boss. You should have let Isis into the house first, then May.”

In vain I protest that it is quite difficult to manoeuvre two dogs into the house when one of them is Isis, and that I’m sure that no lasting harm has been done to Hairy One’s ego.

Polymath chunters on.

But is she over the top? There is plenty of evidence to suggest that she might be.

I spent five days in Wales last week, doing some gardening and taking up a carpet which Daisy Cat has persisted in pooping on at regular intervals. The carpet is in the room in which both Friend and cat sleep, and an important part of feline’s territory.

The carpet has to be cut into manageable pieces and the concrete floor under it sealed with two coats of PVA.

Nothing is ever straightforward in Friend’s house. If rotting wood has to be moved in the garden, we must count the woodlice before we begin and count them again when the task is completed to make certain that a woodlouse has not been trodden on, separated from its parent, put in the bin with the remains of the wood or otherwise displaced or inconvenienced during the clear-up.

True to form, Polymath informs me that one of her current house spiders, which she has been observing over several weeks, has a hunting hangout by the edge of the lamp and she is concerned that s/he is not injured when the carpet is cut, or, even worse, glued to the concrete with PVA. As always, my skin begins to creep and the hair on my neck and arms stands up at the very mention of a spider.

“It’s not a big one”, she lies, as I catch sight of a large, dark brown shape with angular legs, crouched menacingly on the carpet edge. We agree on an arrangement satisfactory to both parties. She watches the spider while I cut the carpet. This makes me feel safer and, obviously, must meet her requirements for spider conservation.

When I prepare to apply the PVC, Friend, who has a tethered spine – a chronic back problem which is seriously incapacitating – sets off for the front room in her power chair.  She has a special reclining chair there which enables her to sit instead of lie down.

Fifty minutes later I join her. But she is still sitting in the power chair. The reason is instantly clear.

“This is ridiculous”,  I say, gazing at friend who is pale, wan and extremely uncomfortable.

“But she needs to relax”, explains friend soppily. “It’s been too much stress for a little cat.”

I ask you!

Isis came from the Aeza cat and dog rescue and adoption centre in Aljezur, Portugal. For information about adopting an animal from the centre, contact kerry@aeza.org or  www.dogwatchuk.co.uk